Physios and sports medicine doctors have warned people not to try Olympic events at home after a spate of injuries to wannabe sports stars.
The Olympics uniquely combines activities that many people already do at a novice or amateur level – such as tennis, football or running – as well as complex, more dangerous sports.
But those inspired by the gymnast Simone Biles, the BMX rider Kieran Reilly or the diver Tom Daley could risk serious injury or even their lives if they try a backflip, take both feet off the pedals midair or attempt a handstand dive off the 10-metre platform, experts cautioned.
There are even enthusiastic novice participants attempting their own version of Olympic events at home, with many posting their efforts on social media. From synchronised swimming in the bath to gymnastic routines on sofa cushions (not as easy as it looks), the opportunity for injury is clear.
Matthew Harrison, an NHS physiotherapist and spokesperson for the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, said he commonly saw patients who had injured themselves in attempting an Olympic sport.
“We frequently see people come to physiotherapy [after] watching the Olympics and either revisiting a sport they have previously participated in, or inspired to take up something new and are unfortunately affected by an injury during this activity.
“I recently saw a woman who had significant pain and luckily no fracture (after requesting an X-ray) of her shoulder following being lifted up and dropped after being inspired by the women’s rugby, where players are lifted up to catch the high balls. Fortunately, it was just bruising and will get better with time and some exercises.
“Also damaged wrist ligaments from a man, who after watching the skateboarding, jumped on to his son’s skateboard and very quickly fell off, landing on his wrist and arm to break his fall. This will take longer to recover.”
More acrobatic sports have higher risks of dangerous musculoskeletal and head injuries. “A backflip is a wonderful thing to watch for those who have practised for many years, but can be dangerous if this is new to you,” he adds. “Landing on your head is never a good thing.”
Dr Tim Exell, a senior lecturer in biomechanics and rehabilitation science at the University of Portsmouth, said: “These are all elite athletes in peak physical condition, and therefore if other people attempt to match their performance and the physical requirements of their sports, this can result in serious injury due to not having the required flexibility for a max-effort athletic event like long jump, or the strength and technique for Olympic weightlifting events.
“In more technical sports, there is risk of severe injury in attempting a complex skill. If you see someone pole-vaulting over a bar and think: ‘Oh, great, I can have a go at that,’ that’s much riskier. You need an awful lot of control over how your body’s moving in the air, and if you’re dropping from six, seven metres in the air on to a mat, but do it wrong and land on your neck, then that’s going to result in a pretty horrific injury.”
Similarly, not landing a dive or somersault in gymnastics correctly “could result in catastrophic or even fatal injury”, he added.
Even more everyday sports such as swimming or running can cause injury if not done properly.
Dean Sutton, a strength and conditioning coach at Pure Sports Medicine, said: “I have had many age-group triathletes who increase their time in the pool and subsequently develop shoulder pain due to poor mobility and technique.”
Dr John Rogers, one of British Athletics’ team doctors at the Games and a fellow of the Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine, said the health benefits of low- and moderate-intensity exercise far outweighed the risks, but that new forms of exercise should be introduced gradually.
“The impact of Mo Farah’s double Olympic golds in 5,000m and 10,000m at the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games has undoubtedly contributed to the 150,000 or more children and adults across the UK who participate in parkrun each Saturday morning.
“Higher-intensity and higher-volume sports such as swimming, triathlon, athletics, rowing, cycling, and sports that have a high skill element like gymnastics, boxing, tennis, golf and surfing, require many years of training to get to the levels we see at the Olympic Games. Having said this, everyone has to start somewhere. Injuries can be a great learning experience as we understand how to exercise safely and effectively and how to get the most out of our bodies.”
The key to preventing injury in all sports is to not skimp on recovery time, Sutton said. “On a day-to-day basis, athletes will eat, sleep, train, repeat. Us mere mortals just won’t have time to do this as we have to do a full-time job and have life commitments.” Not recovering properly can lead to training overload and over time can create overuse injuries and fatigue.
But don’t try more complex sports at home, the experts warned. Find a local club and learn under the guidance of qualified coaches who know what is safe and how to progress.
